Water Pipes in the unheated barn

[JamesHW]

We have a seasonal house in Upstate NY we close up every fall. Every spring hooking everything up would be a comedy of split pipes (despite draining them) unless I had carefully blew all moisture out of them first using a compressor, not something you want to do the morning before an eight hour drive. Since switching most of the plumbing to PEX I have not had any problems except for the year I forgot to properly drain the pump after unhooking it from the well and expansion tank. I just unhook the twist fittings I have strategicaly placed and let everything drain out. Then the hot water heater and the pump. Toilets get vacuumed out with a shopvac and then I flush half a gallon of the RV anti freeze and some into the traps. The whole process takes about 40 minutes.

I do not recommend pumping RV Antifreeze into the pipes. I thought it was a great idea, using a garden pump sprayer adapted to hook into the pipes, until the following spring when we hooked up the water and it tasted "minty fresh" for a over a week despite flushing many gallons of water through the pipes. My wife would take a drink, look at me and say "great idea champ" while rolling her eyes (the cracked pump was more fun).

 

[ustmd]

I appreciate the feedback/information from everyone.

Just to answer a question, we still use the barn during the cold weather (the laudry is out there). Also, our really cold cold snaps are only a few days long and then we warm up about freezing for a few weeks before another comes along.

Given thaty, I am thinking the more temporary solutions (draining the pipes) are ones I should consider.

 

[tommu56]

I have my cabin's plumbing exposed so when I heat the cabin up it warms up too if its in the insulation that much slower.

PEX

PEX

PEX

did I say PEX
The pipe is ok to freeze but the fittings can have some problems if frozen

Pitch every thing to some drain points

I feed the the cold water in the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater with a tee going to the drain so that one valve drains the water heater (make sure it is off) and the cold water line to it.
I open the water faucet's before the drain the water heater it will pull the water back to heater and out the drain. then I open the kitchen drains (hot and cold) and every thing is dry. I haven't had a problem in the 15 years I have been doing it.
I have had it freeze 2 or 3 times before I got to winterize it and warming up the place then turning the pump on no problems note this wasn't a hard freeze for a week just 1-2 days.

tom

 

[grsthegreat]

I live in north Idaho with very cold and long winters. My wife and I have a 12 x 24 tackroom with hot water, sink and toilet. I built the tackroom with 6" insulated walls (if i had to do it again id underlay a 1/2" square metal mesh before the siding to control mouse population). The water heater is electric and set in its own sealed, insulated enclosure outside of the tack room, as the heat from the water keeps it from freezing. I had pipes originally run inside the walls...they froze. I repiped it with all hot/cold lines within the room now. I have a baseboard heater installed that keeps the room at 40F. It doesn't cost much to run...is wonderful to get out of the cold for a bit come winter, and never a frozen pipe. Has gotten down to -30F here, and no frozen pipes.

Also, all the horse tack loves me for it. I can also put the pressure washer, paint sprayer and whatever else i don't want to freeze in the corner or on some shelves.

 

[SandburRanch]

QUOTE: So far, I am considering:

1. Running the plumbing on the outside of the walls (in the room)

My thinking is that at least it would be easier to repair when/if it breaks. Also, I will be install batt insulation in the walls and figure this would bring the pipes into a "warmer" area.
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Since that room will be used on occasion, good insulation and pipes inside the wall will solve 99.999 percent of your problems in your zone. If you have a well and lose electric power then that presents another problem and a well engineered drain system or temporary alternate heat source may be necessary.

If you are gone for an extended period of time in colder months the drain system would be a good idea too.

On the news this past winter it was reported Lubbock TX was needing plumbers, but not for a few days after the pipes thawed so they could tell what to repair.

 

[rekees4300]

So, what do you guys in the really cold areas do about the pipes in unheated barns/buildings?

When the temperature gets down into the single digits and a building is unheated, it's very difficult to prevent pipes from freezing. I recommend that you drain all your pipes and appliances. That approach has worked for me. Empty pipes will not freeze no matter how cold it gets.